In 35 years working with owner-breeder Fred Peisah, trainer Bill Prain cannot remember having an argument with his mate.
The length of the partnership is almost as remarkable as the strength of their relationship.
“I remember Bart Cummings saying once if you can keep an owner for three years you’ve done well,” Prain told AAP.
“Me and Fred have been together for about 35 years.”
Peisah has stuck with Prain through the good times and the bad, including the trainer’s battle with colon cancer in the mid to late 1990s.
“He looks after me and I do my best to look after him,” Prain said.
It’s with that in mind Prain is hopeful Ritabel is their next quality horse ahead of her debut in Saturday’s two-year-old race over 1100m at Canterbury.
No-one knows Ritabel’s sire Arena’s progeny better than Prain.
Peisah has sent him numerous horses by the 1998 Victoria Derby winner who he stands at Lomar Park and Ritabel reminds him of Wrong Call, one of the best.
Wrong Call never lived up to his potential but had form behind Written Tycoon, Snitzel and Stratum as a two-year-old.
“I think he was one of the best two-year-olds I’ve had,” Prain said.
“Unfortunately he went wrong but she’s very much in his mould physically.”
Ritabel comes off two trials on her home track at Warwick Farm.
Prain was impressed with her effort finishing second on October 18 and so was jockey Kathy O’Hara is keen to stick with her on Saturday.
“I think she won’t disappoint anybody who has $5 each way on her,” Prain said.
“She’s done enormous since the trials.”
As a jockey, Prain rode his final Randwick winner in 1987 on That’s Sharp, a horse part-owned by Peisah.
“I had the opportunity to start training which was never in my longest dreams, but you couldn’t train horses for a better bloke,” Prain said.
“I’ll see my time out with Fred. When Fred retires from racing horses, I’ll retire from training horses.”
